Hidden Past
by rockrose
Summary: AU Rogan. This is a response to the A Past Life challenge. Rory Gilmore Hayden and Logan are broken up. He knows nothing of her life in Boston before she moved in with her mom. Imagine his shock when he attends Francine Hayden's funeral, and finds Rory.
1. Getting The News

Hidden Past

**Read this first! This is a response to a challenge posted on Illusive. It's the A Past Life challenge by Holly. The challenge is as follows:**

Rory is in her junior year at yale, she never stole the boat. She and logan are broken up but since she is livng with Finn and Colin they have agreed to friends.Even though they both still have feelings for each other. Rory has a secret past that she never told any of her friends about. When lorelai had her and her twin brother at 16 Rory and her brother grew up with christopher until they were 15. They are veryclose. At 15 rory and her brother were tired of their dad never being there for them so rory moved in with her mom and her brother went to boarding school. Rory and her brother spent every summer with their dad and grandparents on their dads side they are very close with their hayden grandparents but though they spend the summer with their dad aren't very friendly with him. What will happen when the death of grandma hayden brings all of the people from rory's other lifecametogether at hartford for the funeral, and logan will see a whole new side of rory through all of her friends, relatives and ex boyfriends that show up to support rory.

* * *

Chapter 1

Lorelai Leigh Gilmore- Hayden walked to her dorm with her books weighing down her arms. She had spent most of the day at the library studying for a History exam. Why she decided it would be interesting to take a course geared specifically towards an in-depth analysis of the changing roles of women in the 1920's she could not remember. All she knew was that it didn't seem quite as interesting now that she was actually taking it.

Ever since she and Logan broke up she had thrown herself into her schoolwork. His father had told her she wouldn't be a good journalist. That got her confidence down. She considered doing something wild and crazy, but in the end, her common sense won out. They stayed together for a few more weeks, but he was being pressured to dump her. The pressure evidently got to him, because he told her being a boyfriend just wasn't working out for him. If he and his family didn't find her good enough, then fine. She was a Gilmore and a Hayden, damn it! She didn't need to prove herself to anyone.

She barely got her door open without dropping every one of the books. She kicked the door shut and went to her room, dropping the books and various papers on her bed with a sigh.

"Ror?" The familiar voice called out from behind her.

She jumped. "Oh my God, Jake, get a bell or something! Make some noise!"

Jake Pittman looked at her shaking his head. "I was sitting on the couch when you came in."

"Sorry, my arms were full." She replied, looking at him in confusion. "Why are you here?"

He took a deep breath, looking her strait in the eye. "Ror, maybe you should sit down." The tall, sandy haired boy with green eyes told her. He had a muscular build, which was from days he spent playing football.

She stared at him, no amusement left in her voice. "What's wrong?"

He quickly crossed over to her, wrapping his arms around her. She allowed herself to sink into the familiar embrace, worrying washing her.

"It's your grandma Francine. She… there was… she didn't make it, Ror." He told her softly, holding her tightly to support her.

"No…" She whispered, giving in to sobs as they wracked her body and she leaned completely into him, allowing him to be there for her as he so often was.

Every time anything major in her life happened that she was unable to turn to her twin brother, Joshua, she always turned to Jake. They dated for two years, until he broke up with her when she was fifteen. He knew she wanted to leave Boston, and move away from her dad, but never would if they were still together. So even though it broke his heart, he told her to leave. He told her it would never work out between them. They both knew it was a lie. But they agreed never to verbally acknowledge the truth.

Josh decided to go away to boarding school, not wanting anything to do with the mother who abandoned them so long ago, while Rory decided to go and meet the Gilmore's.

Although they were apart, she and Josh continued to be very close. They spent every summer together in Boston with the Hayden's, visiting their friends.

Rory continued to cry, remembering all the wonderful things about her wonderful grandmother. The grandmother who never criticized her or made her feel bad about anything. Rory talked to Francine several times a week, and was closer to her than she was to Lorelai. While Rory and Lorelai were close, Rory would never fully forgive her for abandoning her and Josh. Now her wonderful grandmother was gone… a heart attack, if she heard Jake right. It just didn't seem right. None of it did.

-GG-

Several hours later Rory and Jake made it back to Boston. They walked into her father's mansion with her still clinging to him. He would support her; he always did.

Joshua Michael Gilmore- Hayden looked up as he heard his sister and his best friend approaching.

"Ror" He said, standing and wrapping her in his arms. They stood there, hugging in the sitting room of their father's mansion until they heard their father enter the room.

Josh quickly wiped at his eyes before his father noticed the tears, and Rory straitened. According to their father, a Hayden was to be strong, even in the worst of circumstances.

"Josh, Rory." He nodded, addressing them both.

"Father." They both replied at the same time, their expressions blank, not telling truth to the deep grief they felt.

"We will be holding a dinner here in two days time. There will be between twenty and thirty people attending. Each day until the funeral there will be a…"

Christopher paused, searching for the correct word. In truth, the dinners and teas and such were all just wonderful business ploys. Many of his friends did the same when their parents died. Have a family member hold several "memorials" for the departed. The men would obviously begin to talk business- leaving the ones left behind by the dearly departed to be in a strong point for making business contacts. He remembered when his father did the same over his grandparent's deaths.

"There will be memorials for your grandmother. On Friday there will be an event… just a meet and greet with appetizers and such. Saturday, Rory, you will host a tea here while Josh, you go will go golfing with myself and some busin- some other guests. The wake is Sunday, the funeral Monday, and of course there will be dinner here for many of the attendees after. Of course, you will also be expected to go to several other functions in her honor. The local DAR is hosting a memorial, along with several other organizations. It's your duty."

Josh and Rory shook their heads.

"Father, don't you think it's disrespectful for-" Rory began to say, trying to keep the tears glistening in her eyes at bay.

Her father's gaze became steely. "Lorelai Leigh, you know how things in society are. You were raised in society. Over the past few years, your mother" He practically spat the word, "Has told you how awful it is, but you know what you were born to do. Don't forget, you're a Hayden. You were not raised a Gilmore. You were raised a Hayden. Act like it." With that, he left the room, slamming the door shut as he entered his study.

Josh hugged his sister. His blue eyes met her identical blue eyes.

"It'll be ok. It always is." He assured her. And he was right, it always was okay.

-GG-

Logan groaned as he picked up the phone, glancing at the caller id on his cell which read _Satan_.

"Hello father." He said into the phone, rolling his eyes.

"Logan, you need to go to Boston." His father immediately told him.

"Why?"

"Francine Hayden has just past away. There will be several memorial functions in her honor. Your mother will be there, along with Honor. You should also." His father informed him, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"What? WHY? I didn't even know her!" Logan exclaimed, annoyed at the idea of his week being ruined.

His father sighed. "Logan, the Hayden heir and heiress will be there. They are twins, and the girl is your age. It would be a good match."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Of course, what better way for me to meet a wife than at a funeral?"

"Just be there. I do believe Colin and Finn are also being summoned by their parents, along with Stephanie."

"Fine." Logan finally relented, grateful that at least his friends would be tortured with him. Off to the Hayden funeral and match making in Boston he was.

* * *

AN: Ok, I know the whole "tons of memorials" thing is really overkill, but I needed a way to keep Logan and them around Rory's other life. Besides, Francine Hayden is a very important woman of society. Of course several organizations would want to do memorials for her. Anyways, this is the first time I've ever responded to a challenge, so please let me know what you think! 


	2. Ace?

**AN**: Wow- thank you all sooo much for the reviews! I appreciate them! In case you're confused about any of the characters that I made up, I'm posting character summaries at my blog, so just check it out if you're confused. If you're still confused, tell me, and I'll try to clear things up a bit. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think!

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Chapter 2 

Two days later Rory looked in the mirror, making sure she looked every bit the part of a perfect society heiress. Not a hair was out of place. Her black cocktail dress fit her figure wonderfully, making her look gorgeous. Her makeup was done perfectly. The jewelry was light and appropriate. She hated it.

A chuckle broke her from her thoughts. She spun around to see Jake.

"You always did hate having to play the part of the perfect princess."

She smiled slightly. "You know me too well. But you clean up nice. It's been a while since we've been at one of these society functions together."

"Yes, it has." He replied softly. "Shall we?" He offered her his arm, and they began to walk down the hall towards the stairs.

Rory took a deep breath, inwardly preparing herself to play the familiar yet strange role of Hayden Heiress. For the past several years living with her mother, being away from Boston, she had a regular life. Now, she was facing her past. Her cold, secret past.

She noticed many familiar faces as she stepped onto the marble floor below the stairs. There were the Masons, and the Vanderbilt's, and the Goodrich's among various other millionaires.

Jake leaned in, his warm breath tickling her neck as he spoke, "So who do you think is the richest person in here?"

She bit back a laugh, elbowing him sharply. "Jake!" She hissed, never allowing the fake society smiled to leave her face.

"What?" He asked in feigned innocence.

It was an old routine with them. To amuse themselves over the years at boring society functions they would make bets as to who was the richest, who was having an affair with who, who was doing this, who was doing that. They could go on forever.

Rory leaned into him a bit. "I missed you Jakey." She told him playfully, before noticing Mrs. Cousen. "Oooh… do you think she's still doing her chauffer?"

"I heard she is!" A voice said from behind them.

Rory shut her eyes in embarrassment, mentally kicking herself for allowing someone to over hear her conversation with Jake.

"Shannon!" Rory exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face. "I've missed you sooo much!"

The two girls shared a giant hug.

"I've missed you so much! I'm so sorry about Gran Francine." Shannon told her, pulling away slightly with a sad expression on her face.

Francine and Straub Hayden had been two of the only real people in the Boston elite. They cared deeply for their grandchildren and their friends, and always put them before any money or business. They had adopted Rory and Josh's friends as extra grandchildren, often taking them on family trips with them. The loss of Francine was not only felt by Josh and Rory, but also by all their friends.

"Me too. Too bad dad doesn't give a damn." Rory muttered, still faking a smile for the adults in the room. After all, a Hayden couldn't let the public think something was wrong, now could she?

The tall red head in front of her nodded sympathetically. Shannon could relate. All their friend's could, actually. Shannon O'Leary was a tall, thin red head from Ireland. She had moved to Boston with her parents when they were in the 5th grade. It was common knowledge that her mom popped pills and her dad's business trips always included his secretary. It was also common knowledge that his secretary's five year old daughter was half Irish.

She and Rory had quickly become friends in the 5th grade, when no one else wanted to be her friend. The other children at Easton Elementary Prep School had made fun of her for her accent. Sure, at first it was tough to understand her, but they managed. Rory had always told her friend that her accent made her exotic, and to pay no mind to what other's thought. From the first day they met they were the best of friends.

"Come on, at least if we have to play Stepford Wives tonight, we may as well have some alcohol in us." Shannon said, steering both Jake and Rory to Christopher's study where they knew they would find a large stash of liquor.

Rory laughed, "Some things just never change." She shook her head. Shannon was the first of the group to get drunk, and the first to introduce everyone else to they wonders of alcohol. With her around, there was always a drink somewhere near.

They crept into the study, but to their surprise it was already occupied.

Shannon, Jake, and Rory burst out laughing, shutting the study door quickly.

"You started without us?" Rory pouted, shaking her head and taking a seat in a plush leather chair.

Josh smiled, handing his sister a drink. "Please, you expected me to stay out there longer than necessary? Besides, according to daddy dearest, this is your party to host."

"Nuh uh." Rory contradicted. "He said there would be a dinner party here tonight. Besides, he's out there. He can handle it. I have to host the other events, I may as well sit this one out a bit."

"Always trying to get out of playing your role, aren't you Hayden?" Another voice spoke up, interrupting the siblings.

"Shaun!" Rory said, turning around and seeing the other occupants of the room. "Clem!"

She quickly got up and hurried to hug them both.

"Well it's about time you noticed us!" Clemency chastised her, a teasing grin on her face.

"Well, it looks like the group's all complete." Rory commented, looking around.

The six of them: Shaun, Josh, Jake, Shannon, Clemency, and Rory made up their own clique. They had been the popular kids in their high school. They were all extremely wealthy, and from the bluest of blood.

They had known each other most of their lives. Jake was born mere months before Rory and Josh. The Pittman's were great friends of the Hayden's. They had always gotten along, and Rory knew Francine and Josh's mother, Eliza, both secretly wished for Rory and Jake to marry someday.

Clemency Hines was the daughter of Charles and Claire Hines. They lived in Boston for several generations, so it was only natural that Clemency and Rory had been set up on play dates from a very young age. The short, thin blonde haired girl was the apple of her parent's eyes. To them, she could do no wrong. Unfortunately, they didn't want her to have a career of any sorts. She was permitted to go away to college, but she was expected to marry a rich man of their choosing soon after graduation. That caused her to be bitter towards her parents. She never let them know that she didn't want what they wanted for her. Instead, she played the part of the perfect socialite and got her education. Once graduation came, she intended to get a job with a company and work her way up. She didn't see marriage being on the horizon for a very long time. Her friends were her sanity through her whole charade.

Shaun Colten was a tall, athletic blonde haired guy. He had vivid blue eyes which captivated people. His relationship with his parent's was not much better than the other's in their group. He had moved from San Francisco to Boston with his family in the 3rd grade. He was on Josh and Jake's little league team, and the three quickly became inseparable.

A few years later, once Shannon arrived, their group was complete. They were six of the best friends. They were all fiercely loyal and protective. When you hurt one of them, you dealt with all of them.

They continued to hide out for a few moment's, reminiscing about Straub and Francine. The door opened and they all quickly hid their drinks.

"Relax, it's just me." Jason Nestle, a good friend of theirs from high school, told them. "I just wanted to let you guys know dinner is starting in a few minutes. You may want to get out there before you're busted."

With that, he shut the door and the six friends quickly put away any evidence that they had ever been there.

"Ready?" Rory asked the group, standing by the door, her hand on the door handle.

"Let's go." Jake said, taking her arm once again. They led the group out of the study and walked towards the crowd in pairs: Clem and Shaun, Shannon and Josh, Jake and Rory.

Rory went to grab a glass of champagne of a table, and brushed hands with someone.

"Sorry." She said, pulling her hand away and reaching for another glass, not looking at the man next to her.

The blonde man that had been reaching for the glass looked up in shock at the woman standing beside him. What was she doing here? "Ace?"


	3. What are you doing here?

Chapter 3

As soon as Rory heard Logan's voice whisper "Ace," she froze. She took a deep breath, blinking, and continued to take a glass, just as she had intended. She certainly hadn't expected Logan to show up here. She was suddenly all too grateful for her years of training to be an heiress; it gave her a great blank social mask. She knew this would be the true test of whether her dad had failed to raise her to society's expectations or not.

Straitening, her face now blank save for a fake, polite smile, she looked up at Logan. "Logan, I didn't expect to see you here." She told him, opting to start with honesty.

Logan looked at her in confusion. She hadn't expected to see him here? He certainly never expected in a million years that his Ace would be here, at the Hayden mansion. He knew that the Hayden's were a very powerful family; even more so than his family was. They had some of the bluest blood in the country, and money to match it. While their family fortunes had always been large, Straub Hayden had been well known for growing that fortune to almost unbelievable numbers.

"Well, I can honestly say I didn't expect to see you here, either. Are Richard and Emily here?" He asked her, thinking that would be the only explanation for her attendance.

"No, they are not." She informed him, not divulging more information than she had to. She was rather enjoying his confusion.

-GG-

A few feet away Jake, Josh, and Shannon had been detained by the Multinsi's, who were asking them how they were enjoying college. They made polite chit chat, attempting to get away without being rude.

While Josh and Shannon were participating in a semi-conversation with Martha and Mark Multinsi, Jake noticed Rory's face go blank as some blonde guy began speaking to her. He knew that look on her face; it was her uncomfortable, 'I'm only being polite but I want you far, far away' expression. He always rescued her when she had that look on her face, just as she rescued him when he had his on. She was often bothered by male gold diggers at these parties, just as he was bothered by their female counterparts.

He quickly excused himself, crossing the few feet to where his ex girlfriend stood, looking poised and confident to the average eye. Yet he could see just how upset she truly was.

"Darling, your father was looking for you. You know, we must mingle." He told her, wrapping his arm protectively around her waist and pulling her close to him.

Rory looked up at Jake in relief. "Jake, this is a friend of mine from Yale, Logan Huntzberger. Logan, this is Jake Pittman." She made the introductions just as she was taught, watching as Jakes arm tightened around her a bit more when she introduced Logan.

After the awful dinner with the Huntzberger's, and later after her and Logan's break up, she had told Jake all about her relationship with him. Needless to say, he hadn't been pleased.

Logan watched the couple closely. "Well, it's nice to meet you." He said, holding out his hand for the other man to shake. He noticed that Jake's grip seemed to be rather tight. Uncomfortably so, in fact.

"So how do you and Ace here know each other?" He questioned, intentionally throwing his nickname for her in there.

Jake smiled. He really didn't like anything he had heard about this guy, and he didn't like meeting him, either. "Well, Rory and I here go way back. You could say we're the loves of each other's lives." He smirked, knowing that unless this guy standing in front of him was a true idiot, he would be affected.

And he was. Love? No. That was impossible. His Ace wasn't in love with another guy. They may have been broken up for a few months now, but still. She never mentioned this guy. Obviously, if she never mentioned him to her friends, then he couldn't be that important. Besides, they had only been broken up for a few months. That was not, at least in Logan's opinion, enough time to fall in love with someone. Then again, Logan was pretty sure he fell for Ace during their first debate.

Rory could see the wheels spinning in Logan's mind, trying to get a grip on all he was seeing and hearing. She almost felt pity for him. If he was reacting like this simply over her mere presence, who knew how he would react once he found out who she really was.

Jake cleared his throat, jarring Logan out of his thoughts. "If you'll excuse us, we have matters we must attend to." With that being said, Rory and Jake left Logan standing alone, confused.

Once they were a few feet from Logan, Rory let out a sigh of relief. "I never, ever in a million years expected to see him here." She told Jake, shaking her head slightly and leaning into him for support.

Jake wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tightly to him. "Well, he's a Huntzberger. They have money. More than the Gilmore's, but less than either of us. I guess it should have been expected."

"Yeah, I guess so. I wonder if anyone else from Yale will be here?" Rory mused aloud, scanning the party quickly.

They headed over where Shannon and the rest of their group stood. "They don't know who you really are, do they?" Jake questioned her.

Rory shook her head. "No, I never told them."

Jake didn't respond, but he knew that some of Huntzberger's friends would be there. After all, the rich ran in packs, so to speak. He knew she would have a lot of explaining to do.

"Let's get you a drink. I'll bet Shannon has something strong in her flask." He told her as they arrived to the group.

-GG-

Logan watched in shock as his Ace walked off with some other guy. Some guy who apparently knew her very well. What was she doing here?

"Hey Mate, what are you doing here by yourself?" Finn questioned, walking up beside Logan.

"You'll never guess who I just saw here." Logan told him, his mind still fuzzy from the encounter with Ace and her mystery man.

"Who? The Hayden Heiress? I haven't met her yet, but I hear she's a real Siren."

"Rory." Logan replied, shaking his head.

"As in Gilmore?"

"One and the same."

"What's she doing here? Is she with Richard and Emily?" Finn asked, obviously just as confused as Logan was.

"That's the weird thing, she's here with some guy, and he said something about her father, but she's not with her grandparent's." Logan told him, trying to remember what all had been said during their short conversation.

"Come on, Mate. Dinner's starting. We'll figure it out when we get in there. We can ask around. Maybe get Colin on it; he's good at finding out details." Finn shrugged, reaching for his flask. He grinned devilishly. "The Hayden Heirs are going to be making speeches, we can finally get a look at this Siren our family's want to marry us off to."

"Yeah, let's go." Logan agreed, heading into the dining room where everyone would be served their meals. At least he could try to find out some details as to why Rory was here during dinner. Plus, he wanted to keep a close eye on her and that Jake fellow she was with. He didn't like how close they appeared at all.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you all sooo much for the reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know what's going to happen next chapter already, but after that it's a little foggy... so if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know! Let me know what you think! Thanks! 


	4. The Hayden Heiress

Chapter 4

Logan took a seat by Finn in the dining room. He looked around for Rory, wanting to sit near her. He couldn't figure out why she was there. She wasn't in sight anymore, and neither was Jake. There were still a few empty seats near the head of the table, where the Heir, Heiress, and a few others would be sitting.

"I'm in love." Came Finn's declaration, jarring Logan from his thoughts.

"With who?" Logan asked dryly, used to Finn's falling in love with women.

"That red head. By God, she's bloody beautiful." Finn drooled, picking up his drink and winking at the vivid red head who took a seat near the head of the table.

"Down boy. You can flirt later." Logan told him, still looking about for Rory.

"Logan, darling! Have you met her yet?" Shira's voice cut through as she took a seat across from the boys.

Logan fought the urge to roll his eyes. "No, mother. I have not. Have you?"

Shira shook her head sadly. "Not yet, but I intend to as soon as dinner is over. You also should."

"Of course, mother." Logan replied, sipping his scotch. The last thing he wanted to do was chase after the Hayden Heiress when he wanted to find Rory, and find out who that guy was with her.

"Excuse me." A voice cut through the room at the head of the table. A man stood there, causing the room to look at him.

"I am Christopher Hayden. I would just like to thank you all for coming out here to honor my mother's memory. She was a wonderful woman, and I know she felt deep admiration for each of you."

Off to the side of the room, Rory and Josh fought the urge to roll their eyes.

"Now, I would like to introduce you to my children, Francine's grandchildren, the Hayden family heirs."

When Christopher said that, Josh and Clemency walked into the room together.

Josh began to speak. "Hello, I am Joshua Hayden. I would just like to reiterate what my father has said, and once again thank you all for coming. My grandmother would have appreciated it. Now, I would like you all to meet my sister."

Rory took a deep breath and squeezed Jake's arm. She didn't know what she would do without him. He always got her through these things. She needed his support now more than ever, with Logan being in attendance and all.

-GG-

Logan took another healthy sip of his scotch, chocking on it once he heard the next words uttered in the room…

"Hello, I am Lorelai Hayden, Josh's twin sister. My grandmother Francine was a wonderful, loving woman, who made many charitable contributions and always sought to help others. While she is no longer with us, I know her memory will live on for many, many years not only in her works, but in all of our hearts. That is why I would like to propose a toast. To Francine." Rory said, looking over at the guests and raising her wine glass.

"To Francine." The guests all echoed, taking drinks.

"I hope you all enjoy your dinner, and your memories of my grandmother. If you need anything during your stay, please do not hesitate to inform either myself or Josh. Please, enjoy dinner."

With that being said, Rory took her seat near the head of the table, beside Jake and across from Clemency and Josh.

-GG-

Logan's face was shocked. His jaw was dropped and he faced his friends, looks of astonishment on each of their faces.

"Did you know?" He hissed at them, tightening his fists.

Colin, Stephanie, Finn and Seth all shook their heads 'no'.

He raised his face to look across the table at his mother's white face. The rest of dinner had the Yalies and Shira in stunned silence, watching Rory Gilmore –Hayden interact as the socialite heiress she apparently was.

'_I always knew she fit in well at society functions…'_ Logan thought, not bothering with his food, opting for another scotch.

'_What have I done?'_ Shira asked herself, gulping down her wine, wishing for a cigarette. _'I told that girl she wasn't good enough. My God! She could crush us… Mitchum will not be please…'_

Finn cackled silently, rather enjoying the turn of events. _'Oh what a tangled web we weave.'_ One thing was for sure, it would be an interesting week.

-GG-

As soon as dinner was over Shira cornered Logan.

"Did you know?" She demanded, pulling him aside.

"NO! If I did, don't you think I would have told you so you wouldn't have broken us up?" Logan retorted, jamming his hands in his pockets and gritting his teeth.

"Well, I just thought you should know if you still want to be with her, your father and I won't stop you." Shira said, fumbling through her handbag for a cigarette.

"How noble." Logan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go speak with Rory. I should have never let you tear us apart."

He shook his head, stomping off to find Rory. He had to figure this out. It was just too much at once.

-GG-

Rory knew it would be long until he found her. Currently, she was on Jake's arm, speaking with the Pearberry's.

"You two make such a cute couple. I hope you're back together. Are wedding bells ringing for this June? The Cape is so lovely at that time." Andrea Pearberry said, looking at the lovely young couple in front of her.

Jake and Rory exchanged glances before laughing lightly.

"No, Mrs. Pearberry. I don't think so. We still both have to finish school before we decide which direction our lives are going, as far as that's concerned." Jake replied, saving Rory from having to reply. He looked over and saw Logan watching the scene with interest, and decided to mess with his head. Wrapping his arm tighter around Rory and pulling her even closer to him, he said, "But who knows? Anything could happen."

Rory looked up at him confused for the slightest moment, before noticing Logan watching them. She leaned up and pecked Jake on the cheek. "Yes, Mrs. Pearberry. Who knows what could happen?"

Rory had seen Shira and several members of the LDB at dinner. She saw Shira's face when realization hit that she was a Hayden. She wasn't considered good enough when they thought she was just a Gilmore; she had no intention of getting back with Logan just because her last name was now more prominent.

They had no clue just who Lorelai Leigh Hayden was. Sure, they now knew her identity, but they didn't _know _her. She intended to use that to her advantage. Finally, years of upbringing as a socialite were to her advantage. The tables had turned, and she intended to let everyone know just how different she was from the Yale Rory. This week, they would meet the Boston Rory, the Hayden family Rory. And boy, were they ever in for a surprise.

-GG-

"What's wrong?" Clemency asked Josh, seeing the look on his face, along with his narrowed eyes.

He nodded with his head. "Clem, look over at Ror. What does that look she's wearing remind you of?"

Clemency studied her friend from across the room. "She's plotting."

"Yeah, she is. That's never a good sign."

Clemency laughed slightly, remembering when they were all younger.

"Do you know that guy over there?" Josh asked, pointing to a blonde guy walking up to his sister.

"Nope, never seen him before. Do you think he's from Yale or something? He looks like he knows Rory."

"I don't know. But I intend to find out. She doesn't look too happy to see him."

She held his arm, keeping him from walking away. "Jake can take care of her. He always does. Right now, I think we need to track down Shannon, and make sure she's not too drunk. Your dad was pissed at last years Christmas party when she got on the baby grand and started singing Santa Baby."

Josh looked at his sister and eyed the blonde guy before sighing. Clemency was right; controlling Shannon was a never ending task. Rory could handle herself, and if not, Jake was always there to take care of her.

-GG-

Shannon took another long swig of her wine, giggling. She turned to Shaun, who had accompanied her outside to see the gardens. They were both in need of fresh air.

"How pissed do you think Chris would be if I added bubbles to the fountain?" She asked, critically eyeing the large water fountain in the center.

Shaun shook his head. "Josh and Ror had to smooth the whole Christmas serenade over, and then at Easter they had to explain why the entire back yard smelled like rotten eggs. Cut them a break."

"How was I to know they wouldn't hunt for the eggs?" Shannon protested, pouting.

"I still think he's probably a bit pissed about the whole leprechaun deal, anyway. Maybe it's best to just lie low this week." Shaun suggested, pleading with his friend.

"Lie low?" Shannon cried, outraged. "Well a whole bunch of fun you are!" She huffed, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"I'm not letting you add bubbles to the fountain! That's final!"

"Fine." She shrugged, grinning evilly, "I'll just find someone else to be the Clyde to my inner Bonnie. Really darling, you are replaceable." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and sauntered off to find her new partner in crime.

-GG-

"Ace, could we talk?" Logan asked, looking into Rory's eyes.

Rory rolled her eyes, "Whatever about?"

Logan didn't like this new Rory. He missed the old Rory; Ace. This Rory was… she was too much like him. "Alone?"

She shook her head. "Nope." She replied flippantly, shrugging and smiling brightly. "Anything you want to say to me you can say to Jake as well."

Logan felt his temperature rise and held down a growl. He had nothing to say to the chump that was currently holding his arm around her waist. He gritted his teeth. "Fine. I can wait. I have all week."

With those words being said he walked off to watch her from a distance. He had all week. At some point or another she would be alone, and then they would straiten out everything between them.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I appreciate them. This chapter was more of a set up chapter than anything. It sort of sets the rest of the story up. Also, **yes, this is a Rogan**. Gigi does not exist in this. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know what you think! 


	5. Plots, Schemes, and Things

AN: I am sooo sorry it took me so long to get this out! I have been swamped with school work. I'm on Spring Break this week, so you can expect at least one more chapter of this within the week (possibly more). Feedback is always appreciated!

* * *

Finn took a hearty swig from his flask, looking around to see what havoc could be brought. These society functions were always so dull; he needed to find something to lighten them up.

"Well aren't you just darling." An accented voice cooed, sauntering up to Finn. She raised an eyebrow at his flask, "Tell me you've got something strong in there and I'll love you… at least until tomorrow."

Grinning, his eyes widened. In front of him stood the redheaded siren he had been ogling at dinner. "Hello love."

"Oooh… exotic. I think I've found a new toy."

Finn sighed dramatically, his eyes taking on a teasing light, "Oh, fine. You've convinced me. I'll be your slave boy."

She swiped his flask and took a long sip. "Not bad. And as for being my slave boy, do you really know what you're getting yourself into?"

"I have a feeling that I'm in over my head… but I dare say I'll enjoy it."

Shannon giggled. "Well darling, come along then. We have much work to be done."

-GG-

Logan looked around. Finally, Rory was alone. He hurried over to her, intending to talk to her.

"Ace, please, just give me a minute of your time." He insisted, grabbing her arm.

Rory looked at Logan and sighed. "What Logan?"

Logan silently thanked whatever higher power gave him this chance. He hadn't wanted to break up with her in the first place, but it wasn't fair to either of them. Family pressures were really getting to them both.

"I want you back." Was all he said, not trusting his voice much more.

Rory shook her head. "It doesn't work that was Logan. If I wasn't good enough for you or your family before, then what makes me so good now? A last name? I don't play that game Logan. If I did I never would have left."

"Rory, you know I don't believe that! You are one of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I never thought you weren't good enough!" He insisted, stepping closer to her.

"I can't believe that. I'm sorry." She quietly told him.

"I won't give up." He replied, looking deep into her sapphire eyes.

"Why not?" She cried, jerking her arm away from him. "Why won't you just leave me alone and let me live my life?"

"Because I care about you! I miss you! I think I may even actually love you!"

"No, you don't." She shook her head. "You don't love me because you don't know anything about me!"

"Damn it Rory! Whose fault is that? God, here I thought you were a Gilmore, lived in Stars Hollow your whole life, and hated society. Little did I know the truth!"

"I don't tell anyone about my past." She shrugged, looking around desperately for someone, anyone to save her from this discussion.

"Why?" He asked in disbelief.

"Because I don't want to be judged based on my last name. I need to get back before anyone notices I'm gone."

Logan wanted to argue but knew she was right. "Fine, just answer me one thing."

"What?"

"What is that Jake guy to you?"

Rory smiled slightly. "I need go."

Logan watched as she walked away, back to the party and back to Jake. He hated the feeling of unease that washed over him. She ignored the question.

-GG-

Hours later Rory let out a sigh. She plopped down on her bed, relieved. "I can't believe they stayed that long." She groaned, utterly exhausted.

Jake looked over at her and laughed. "It just seemed like longer because we couldn't get away."

"True… true. I swear, every mother in the place introduced me to her highly eligible bachelor son… and commented about how lovely the Cape would be for a wedding."

"Get used to it. You have all week to deal with it."

Rory was silent. She knew he was right. There were tons of socialite parents wanting their children to marry a Hayden. Shira Huntzberger was one of them.

Logan's confrontation had left her off kilter for the rest of the night. She didn't want him back. His family was too much for her to handle. She didn't want to be accepted simply because her last name was better than theirs was.

Yes, she had feelings for Logan. She knew beyond a doubt that those feelings were not love. She hadn't had enough time to love him. Their entire relationship was rocky. First with the no strings agreement, and then they had his family pulling them apart. And it worked.

Now, he was back in the picture, trying to win her over. Just like every other single guy there this week.

"Jake!" Rory exclaimed, looking at her best friend.

Jake opened his previously shut eyes. He needed to go home and get some sleep. Badly. Dealing with his father, Chris, and all the other business men was wearing him out.

"Rory!" He mocked, smirking.

She rolled her eyes. "I have an idea."

"Was that what I smelled burning?" He teased her.

"Jake!"

"Rory!" He mocked again.

"We are not doing this again. Come on, listen to my idea."

"Go ahead, bend my ear. I'm listening."

"Well… you said Mrs. Whitehall was trying to set you up with her daughter Lisa, correct?" She asked him, watching him closely.

Jake grimaced, nodding slowly, trying not to shudder. "Yes, Bunny Whitehall. Lord help me if my father likes the idea."

"I have a solution for the both of us."

Jake looked at her curiously. Rory was one of the smartest people he had ever known, but when she plotted bad things happened. That was one of the many, many things she and Josh had in common.

When they planned a prank or revenge they were out for blood. Their motto was 'No one outdoes a Hayden.' And no one did. But their plots had an unfortunate habit of blowing up in their faces, causing problems for everyone.

Jake sighed, knowing even if she suggested they go live as hippies in a commune- which was not his idea of a good time (fortunately it wasn't Rory's idea of one, either)- he would go. He always did. She had him wrapped around her little finger. She had ever since she was little. He loved her, so he went along with every dumb, stupid, sometimes dangerous scheme she came up with.

"What are we going to do?" He finally asked.

"You mean you'll do it?" She asked him, excited.

He rolled his eyes. "When do I ever not go along with one of your schemes?"

She thought. "Good point. This isn't so much a scheme though…"

"Out with it Hayden!" He barked at her, winking.

"Here's what we're going to do…"


	6. Tea, golf, and Shockers

AN: Sorry about the delay in updating! Thanks for all the reviews. I'm already working on the next chapter, so hopefully it should be up soon.

* * *

The next day was Saturday. Rory had to host a tea while Josh went golfing. Later that day there was a special DAR function in Francine's honor. Rory got out of bed knowing it would be a long day. 

She hurried to get ready; making sure her outfit was perfect. After all, in high society one had to look perfect.

Once she was satisfied she went two doors over and knocked, opening the door. Smiling at what she saw she crept over to the bed and laid down next to the still-sleeping figure.

"Wakey wakey." She whispered.

Jake's eyes fluttered opened and he blinked a few times.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" He questioned, yawning.

"You are going golfing with Josh and the other men, you told me to wake you at eight… it's now eight-oh-five." She pointed to the Cartier watch.

He nodded groggily, throwing the covers aside and stood up, wearing only his blue boxers.

"Your mother had some clothing sent over for you. Camille put it in the closet." Rory informed him. Camille was one of the Hayden maids. She had worked at the mansion longer than any of the other maids had.

"Thanks." He told her. "So, are you ready for the plan?"

She smirked. "Absolutely. Well, I'm going to let you get ready. You know the guestrooms are always stocked… but if you need anything come get me."

-GG-

Shannon strolled in a half hour before the tea was to start. She hummed, smiling.

"Good morning, darling!" She cooed at Rory, who was making the maid measure the candlestick tapers to be sure they were six inches apart.

Rory stopped in her tracks, turning around. "Has the apocalypse started? You hate mornings!"

Shannon grinned. "Not when you have Australian for dessert the night before."

Rory's eyes got huge and her jaw dropped. "Australian?" She croaked, shaking her head.

She saw Shannon nod happily.

"Was he here last night?"

"Yes, I met him here. He's from Yale. Do you know him?" Shannon questioned innocently.

"Shannon, was his name Finn?"

Shannon nodded, but her smile faltered a bit. "What's wrong?"

"He's Logan's best friend."

"Bloody hell!"

Rory was taken aback by Shannon's outburst. "What's wrong?" She asked her.

"I slept with your ex's best friend. Isn't that like, wrong on some level?" Shannon asked, looking at Rory.

Rory shook her head. "No, now come on and help me. I have to tell you about this plan Jake and I have…"

"Ooh! A plan! Goody!" Shannon clapped her hands together. "Will there be alcohol at the tea?"

-GG-

Josh swung his club, hitting the ball onto the green.

A group of the men were golfing, bonding, and discussing business. Mitchum, Chris, Logan, Jake, Josh, and Colin were there. The other men all were either in other groups golfing, playing racquet ball or playing tennis. To say the mixture in the group was uncomfortable would be an understatement.

As the group finished with the hole they began to move on to the next one. Logan grabbed Jake's arm before he had a chance to leave.

"We need to talk." Logan informed his new rival.

Jake shook his head. "Is this about Rory? If it is, I have nothing to say to you."

Logan glared at the other man. "Well I have things that I need to say to you."

"Such as?"

"Such as I intend to get Rory back." Logan informed him smugly.

Jake smirked. Did this guy honestly think he could just say he wanted Rory and he would have her? "Too damn bad. Really."

"I will get her back. I care about her."

"Bull shit, Huntzberger. You care about yourself. You care about your family name, and you care about money. That's what you care about. If you cared about Rory, you never would have hurt her in the first place." Jake seethed, holding onto his self control so he would not punch the blonde. In his opinion anyone who hurt Rory was dirt, and deserved to be treated as such.

Logan sighed. "Look, I just need to know what you are to her. Besides, I obviously didn't hurt her too bad, we managed to remain friends."

Jake shook his head. "You allowed your family to treat her like dirt, and then you broke up with her because you couldn't handle it."

"The break up was mutual!" Logan defended.

Jake scoffed. "Yeah. Of course it was. Rory agreed that it just wouldn't work out. She agreed that your timing was off. She agreed that there were too many factors against the two of you, right?" He challenged, remembering Rory's late night phone call to him, spilling out the details of her break up.

Logan blanched. "How do you…?"

Jake smirked. "We tell each other everything. Now let me tell you something. Rory is none of your business. Not anymore. You hurt her, whether you realize it or not. You suggesting that you guys should break up basically told her that the only reason why anyone would ever want her is for her money. It suggested that she's not good enough without it. You want to know what Rory and I are to each other? Well, it's none of your damn business. But I'll tell you anyway. I'm the man that will do anything to keep you from hurting her again. I'm the man who is with her now. Get used to it. I'm not going anywhere."

Logan watched on, glaring at the other man as he walked away. Realizations pounded him, hitting him, making him realize that he did just what the other man said…

_It was a sunny day, the weather nothing like Logan felt. It was a beautiful day. Too bad he was on his way to do something he would live to regret._

_He knocked swiftly on her door. He never used the door. He would always come through the window. But this time was different._

_Rory opened the door, looking curiously at Logan. "Hey, you knocked… you do realize this isn't the window, right?" _

_He nodded slowly, hating himself for what he was about to do. It wasn't that he wanted to do it, but it needed to be done. His family would never accept her. They would crush her dreams. They would hurt her. He realized that when he overheard the talk between Elias and Mitchum the night before. This was for their own good. _

"_Can I come in?" He asked her, looking into her big blue eyes._

"_Uh, sure." She answered, swinging the door open wider, making way for him._

"_What's this about?" She asked him, watching as he paced, hands in pockets. _

_He looked up at her. "Ace… I've been thinking." He started, blowing out a deep breath._

"_Ok…" _

_How on earth could he do this? How could he turn away from the person who had started to mean the most to him? He wanted to say to hell with his family. He wanted to ignore their protests, and stay with her. But he knew it would hurt her in the long run. She wasn't used to his world. She didn't belong in it. He would drag her in it, and she would be miserable. It was for the best that he did this._

"_This isn't working, is it?" He lied, hoping she wouldn't put up to much of an argument._

_She sat down, getting the drift of where this was going. She said nothing._

"_I mean, you agree with me, right? It's just the wrong time for us. I'm going to be taking the family business over next year…I need to concentrate on that." _

_She blinked back tears. He pretended not to notice, but he did._

"_Then there's the family thing… it just… Ace…you understand, right?" He pleaded with her, begging her to understand. He didn't know how much longer he could continue to lie to her, to pretend he didn't care. It was the first time he ever broke up with a girl he actually cared about._

_She stood up strait. Her whole demeanor changed. She wasn't about to let him see her in pain. "Yeah, there's a lot against us. And you know what, I think you're right. We're from two different worlds. So, I'll see you around."_

"_Friends?" He asked quietly, just before he turned around._

"_Yeah, sure. Friends." She replied, her voice not convincing. _

_He turned around and walked away, pretending not to care. In reality, he hated himself for what he did. Sure, they would pretend to be friends. She would join Colin and Finn for drinks or attend parties, and he would be there. But they wouldn't really be friends. Not like they used to. Nothing would be the same._

"Logan, are you coming?" Colin called to him, jarring him out of his thoughts and his memories.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Logan replied, following him. He needed to convince Rory that he would never hurt her again. He needed her. He wasn't sure how he would get her back, but he would somehow. Of that he was sure.

-GG-

Rory welcomed all the women and they sat down, enjoying their tea. She had been going out of her way to politely ignore Shira all morning.

"So, Rory, dear, how are you and my son doing?" Shira asked sweetly, smiling. She thought if she cornered Rory in front of the others she could help Logan to win her back.

Rory sharply looked at Shira, a polite smile on her face. Shira's smile faltered a bit. "I don't know how Logan is. I'm great. I'm sure you know we're no longer together. We haven't been for some time now. You know, I'm sure he would make a lovely match with that Fallon girl, don't you think so?"

Shira fought to keep a smile on her face. She had no idea what this girl was capable of. She was good, very, very good.

"Well," Mrs. Whitehall broke in, oblivious- as were the rest of the women- to the tension, "I know someone who would make a perfect match for my Bunny."

"Oh, and who is that?" Alexandria Overly asked.

"Jake Pittman. A wonderful young man indeed!" Mrs. Whitehall replied, smiling.

Shannon smirked. "Yes, Jake is a wonderful man. Unfortunately for your poor Bunny, he and Rory are back together." Shannon had been clued into the plan earlier, and was thoroughly enjoying herself. This would be fun.

Shira spit her tea back into her cup, choking.

Rory smiled, looking over at Shira. "Are you alright?"

Clemency, who was sitting next to Shira, decided to help her out. She took her fist and beat her back four times, as hard as she could. "Are you alright, Mrs. Huntzberger?" She asked, her voice innocent.

Shira flinched in pain, throwing a fake smile on. "Of course dear, thank you for the help. Just went down the wrong pipe, that's all."

Not only was Rory good, but her friends were, too. Good, very, very good. They knew how to play the game.

"Of course." Rory said, smiling. "Camille, please get Mrs. Huntzberger some fresh tea."

Once the group had settled down Clemency's mother, Claire Hines looked at Rory. "Well, I for one am glad you and Jake are back together. You always were the cutest couple. A real power couple, that's what you are."

Rory beamed, enjoying the look on Shira's politely fuming face.

-GG-

The men were all in the lounge at the club, sipping scotch and discussing stocks.

"Christopher, may I have a moment?" Mitchum asked, puffing on a cigar.

"Of course, Mitchum. What can I do for you?" Christopher replied, looking at the other man. While the Huntzberger's were not as powerful as the Hayden's, they still had plenty of power and authority. Maybe not so much in Boston, but in Hartford.

"Could we discuss this somewhere a bit quieter?" Mitchum asked, lowering his voice a bit.

Chris nodded, following the other man to an empty office.

"What does this have to do with now, Mitch?" Chris asked once the office door was shut.

"This is about our children. I'd like to make a deal with you." The other man replied as he began to elaborate on his statement.


	7. Plunging the Knife

AN: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm sorry this took so long. School got really hectic, so that's why I didn't have time to write. The next chapter should be out sometime this week. I hope. Also, **this is NOT going to be an arranged marriage fic! **

* * *

Chapter 7

"Our children?" Chris asked, taking a seat.

Mitchum nodded. "Yes, our children. My son, Logan, and your daughter, Rory."

"What about them?"

"I'm not sure if you're aware of their… relationship. They dated for a while, but it just didn't work out." Mitchum told the other man, avoiding the details. He certainly didn't want to tell Christopher Hayden that the Huntzberger's told a Hayden she wasn't good enough.

"I'm not sure what this has to do with me. Or with you, for that matter." Chris pointedly told Mitchum.

"I'll cut to the chase here. Our children dating, and hopefully eventually marrying would benefit both our families immensely."

Chris looked at Mitchum and nodded. Perhaps creating an alliance of sorts with the Huntzberger's would be beneficial. The Hayden's were very, very powerful, but Christopher knew he needed to make connections of his own. The Hayden family connections came from what his parent's set up. With his parent's being gone, Chris knew he had to make some of his own for the Hayden family to carry their prestige and power, not to mention financial success into the next generation. Yes, a marriage between the Huntzberger family and the Hayden's would benefit everyone involved.

"I'm listening." He told Mitchum, not even considering his daughter's feelings. After all, she was his child, his pawn. She would do what she was told. It was her lot in life to be a socialite, and Chris was damn sure she would become one, whether or not she liked it. It was what she was born to do.

-GG-

"Are you ready?" Jake asked several hours later, waiting for Rory to finish dressing for the DAR memorial.

She opened her bedroom door. "How do I look?" She asked, spinning around.

Jake couldn't say anything. He felt like the air was knocked from his lungs… he always knew Rory was beautiful, but this… this was beyond beautiful. She was utterly stunning.

"You…" He started to whisper before stopping and wetting his lips, beginning again. "You are the very image of beauty. Perfect. Absolutely perfect."

She smiled at Jake, walking over to him and hugging him. "I am so glad you're here for me." She whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I'm here for you Rory. Always. Now let's go fool everyone."

-GG-

Clem bit her lip, pondering the current situation. A friend of hers, Paul Johansen, had been at the country club earlier with his father and grandfather. Apparently he overheard a conversation between Mitchum and Christopher. Clem didn't like what she heard about the conversation one bit. She knew she had to do something, anything, to help Rory out.

"Shannon, Shannon, wait up!" Clem called over to Shannon, hurrying to catch up with the fiery red head.

Shannon turned around and watched in amusement as her blonde friend attempted to run in heels. Clemency was not athletic. It took something big to make her run. The last time Shannon saw Clemency run was when she walked in on Taylor Boss and Aaron Oakley in the coat room at a Christmas party. She took it upon herself to spread the news to everyone by the end of the party- especially to Taylor's boyfriend and Aaron's girlfriend.

"What?" Shannon asked, thoroughly excited. Clemency was slightly out of breath. She wouldn't get all worked up over nothing.

"We need to talk privately. No one can overhear us." The blonde told the red head, leading her to an empty room.

-GG-

Logan's breath caught in his throat as he watched her walk into the room. She was stunning. He had never in his life seen a woman look more beautiful, more graceful, more perfect than she was.

He ignored the man whose arm was around her. Logan wasn't sure what exactly was really going on with her and Jake. He didn't like seeing them together, but it wasn't going to stop him. Nothing would. He wanted her back, and there was no way he was going to allow anything- or anyone- to get in his way.

To hell with anyone who didn't want them together.

-GG-

Rory had her fake society smile plastered on her face. She walked into the room with Jake's arm around her. She nodded and said a polite "Thank you," to a woman expressing her condolences. They made their way around the room in a similar fashion, making small talk and thanking people for their condolences. Rory could hardly wait for it to be over. She wanted to go home and go to bed. She wanted to grieve. She wanted to not worry about Logan or anything. She had too much stress this week. She wasn't sure how she was going to take it much longer.

"Rory," Chris said, gaining her attention.

"Yes father?" She flatly asked, keeping the fake smile on her face as she inwardly cringed. Just the person she didn't want to have to deal with.

"Someone needs to speak with you in the office." He informed her, walking away quickly.

Rory shot a curious glance at Jake, who just shrugged.

She sighed. "May as well go get this over with."

Jake sympathetically smiled. "Sorry."

"Duty calls." She shrugged, assuming the person needing to speak with her was a member of the DAR.

She walked away from Jake towards the office, wishing this night was over. She needed to find Shannon desperately and get a sip of her flask.

Rory pushed open the office door, walking in. The person standing at the window turned around to look at her in shock.

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked testily.

Logan sighed, shaking his head. "My father said I needed to speak with someone in here."

"Same here." She muttered, clearly annoyed at having to deal with Logan. She turned to leave but his hand closing on her arm stopped her.

"What's going on?" He asked, no longer able to fight his curiosity.

She rolled her eyes. "My grandmother's memorial."

Logan fought the urge to glare. "I'm aware of that. I mean with _him_."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "With Jake?"

"Yes, _him_."

Rory smirked. "Jealous? Too bad, really."

"Rory." He said flatly, getting impatient.

She stopped and looked him dead in the eye before answering with the reply she and Jake decided to give everyone. "We're back together."

Logan fought the urge to double over. He swore a knife had just been plunged into his heart.

"Together?" He finally managed to croak out.

Taking a deep breath, she went on with the lie. "Yes, together. I love him, and he loves me, and we're together. End of story. Now goodbye." Rory walked out of the office, leaving a stunned and heartbroken Logan behind her.

He swore he just felt the knife in his heart twist.

-GG-

Rory walked back over to Jake, her footsteps heavy. Revenge wasn't as sweet as she thought it would be. Somehow it hurt her to hurt Logan. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to feel great. She was supposed to feel free, happy, and victorious. She wanted him to hurt. But damnit, she just hurt herself in the process.

"Are you ok?" Jake whispered, seeing her stormy face.

"Fine." She testily replied, letting him know to drop the subject.

Jake raised his eyebrows, watching her closely. He wasn't sure who she just spoke to, but he had a feeling it was a rich blonde heir who wanted her back.


	8. Revelation's

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews! I loved them, and they actually made me feel guilty for not updating sooner! So, here's a new chapter! This is pretty much the turning point in the fic. I hope you like it!

* * *

Chapter 8

"Rory, what are you doing out here already?" Chris asked, coming up to his daughter who was seated next to Jake.

Rory glanced up at her father. "Oh, turns out the person wanting to speak to me wasn't anyone I had much to say to."

Chris nodded, his brow furrowing. He really needed to get the two of them together. "Rory, rather than sitting back here you really should sit closer to the front. Follow me." He said, grabbing his daughters arm and hauling her towards the front.

As he walked away he shot Mitchum a look, making sure the other man noticed the empty seat beside his daughter. Mitchum nodded slightly.

Less than five minutes later Logan sat down next to Rory.

"What, are you doing here?" She hissed, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Hey, I come in peace!" He joked lightly, holding his hands up. "I was instructed to sit here."

Rory's eyes narrowed at him. "You're up to something, and I don't like it."

Logan shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Before she a chance to reply the speaker walked up to the podium, signaling the beginning of the memorial.

-GG-

Rory attempted to ignore the occasional arm brush she received from Logan. As much as she hated to admit it, sitting this close to him affected her. She hated that it did. It wasn't supposed to. She was supposed to hate him. After all, she wasn't good enough for him when she was just a Gilmore, why should she be considered good enough for him now? She took a deep breath, building back up her resolve.

The memorial continued far too long in Rory's opinion. She couldn't take much more of being near him. As soon as the speaker stepped down and the memorial was over Rory breathed out a sigh of relief.

She was just about to stand up when Mitchum Huntzberger walked over to her. Rory narrowed her eyes at the man. No good could possibly come of this.

Mitchum put on an overly happy society smile. "Your father wanted me to tell you that he had to leave early. He said to share a limo with Logan here. I'll see you two later."

With that, the newspaper tycoon walked away, leaving Rory to attempt to shut her gaping jaw.

Logan smiled at him luck. He knew something was going on. He wasn't sure what it was, but as long as it helped him he didn't care.

He beamed at Rory. "You heard the man."

She reluctantly took his arm and followed him to the limo. Once they were inside she looked everywhere except at him.

Logan sighed. "Come on Rory, you can't hate me forever."

"I can try." She icily muttered.

She sat is silence, her arms folded across her chest. Things just weren't adding up. She wasn't supposed to be stuck in a limo with Logan. She was supposed to be riding back with Jake. But her father, and Mitchum…

"You stupid ass!" She screamed, her head jerking over to look at Logan.

He sighed. "What the hell did I do this time?" He asked her, defeated.

She snorted. "Yeah, like you don't know."

Logan moved in front of Rory, looking her directly in her eyes. "I have no clue what you're having a fit about."

Rory rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You had this set up. You had your father come up to me and tell me to ride back with you. You did this!"

Logan looked at her in shock. He didn't doubt for a moment that his father was behind their little set up, but he certainly had nothing to do with it. "Look Rory, believe it or not, I am not really a manipulative bastard. If I were I never would have broken up with you in the first place!" He shouted, pouring himself a scotch from the stocked bar.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him, confusion and disgust playing over her face.

Logan dropped his head into his hands. "Never mind. It's not important. Not anymore."

"Logan, tell me."

He glanced up at her. "Look, you want me to leave you alone, fine. I'll leave you alone. I love you, but I'll get over it. I'm sick of being the bad guy here."

The limo rolled to a stop in front of the Hayden mansion. Logan glanced over at her still form.

"I'm done trying to get you back. You don't want me, fine. Go have Jake, go do whatever. See if I give a damn." With that being said he got out of the limo, leaving a shocked Rory to ponder over everything he had just said.

-GG-

"Mr. Hayden! Mr. Hayden! Wait up! I need to speak with you!" Shannon gasped, chasing after her best friends father.

Chris turned around, an annoyed expression on his face. "What is it this time, Shannon? Is ruining my property with your pranks not enough?"

Shannon's jaw dropped, and she stared at him. Chris couldn't hold his laughter back at her expression.

"Yes, I knew it was you. Don't worry, my friends and I did the same things to our parent's when we were your age. Now what can I do for you?" Chris asked, in an uncharacteristically warm tone.

Shannon knew she was gaping like a fish but she couldn't help it. Shaking her head, she got down to business.

"Mr. Hayden, I know that you are plotting with Mr. Huntzberger to set up Rory and Logan. I have an important piece of information that it is vital for you to know before you try to push them together." She told him, trying to sound as grown up as possible. It wasn't easy when she saw Finn on the other side of the property riding the gardeners riding lawn mower in hiskangaroo boxers. The gardener was, of course, chasing after him with huge lawn cutters in his hands, yelling.

Chris nodded, his face now also serious. "What is it?"

Shannon looked around, knowing that she couldn't keep from laughing much longer. After all, Finn was headed towards them, making designs in the grass as he drove on. She took Chris' arm and steered him towards the house, so he wouldn't see the scene behind him. "Perhaps we can discuss this inside?"

Chris followed her to his office, obviously confused.

"What is it? I don't have all day." He informed her once the office door was shut.

"You see, the Huntzberger's said some things to Rory…"

-GG-

"You bastard!" Chris yelled, swinging his fist towards Mitchums face as he stormed into the library.

"What in the hell Hayden?" Mitchum screamed as he ducked.

The two men made such a ruckus that all the kids in the house, who had been lingering in the kitchen and media room came running in, along with a few adults.

"Come on, we're going to fight like me! Put up your dukes, Huntz!"

Mitchum's face was horrified.

"DAD!" Both Rory and Logan screamed, running in the room at the same time.

"Stay out of this!" Chris told his daughter. "How dare you say my daughter wasn't good enough for your family!" He spat at Mitchum.

Mitchum's face paled. "Look, we can discuss this like civilized men…"

Shannon and Finn stood in the doorway, her hair mussed and skirt twisted, and his shirt half unbuttoned. They had been enjoying themselves in the laundry room when the yells attracted their interest. Neither of them was one to miss a good show, so they grabbed their flasks and made their way to the yelling.

Chris scoffed. "Please, you come to me, wanting to make a deal. You try to get me to push our children together after you insult my daughter!"

Chris shook his head, putting his fists down. "You, are an ass. I will not push my daughter to be with your son. I will not do business with you. I will be polite to you in public, but that is it. Your dealing's with the Hayden's are finished."

Rory looked from her father to Mitchum to Logan. "Wait, what?" She questioned, shaking her head.

Chris looked at his daughter, wanting nothing more than a scotch and an aspirin. "Mitchum wanted me to set you and Logan up together. Then I found out what he did to you."

"It wasn't Logan?" She asked Chris, biting her lip. Chris shook his head no.

Rory turned to look at Logan, but he simply walked out of the room, shrugging off his father's attempts to follow him.

She walked to the doorway, looking at Jake and sighing. "I fucked up."


	9. The Choices We Make

**AN:** Wow, so I'm totally horrible. 3 whole months! Yikes! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I hope to have the next chapter out by this weekend. This chapter has NO Rogan in it, but from chapter 10 on it will be all about getting Rogan together. This chapter just basically gives me an opening for the Jory sequel. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9

Rory hugged her knees close as she sat in the tree house that her grandfather helped Josh build when they were seven. Back then, life was so simple. Back then, they didn't worry about relationships. They had everything they needed. Their dad wasn't around much, but their grandparent's were. And now they were gone. And everything was spiraling out of control.

"I knew I'd find you here." Jake said, climbing up beside her, a sleeping bag in his arms.

Rory smiled weakly, noticing the sleeping bag and a plastic grocery bag in his right hand. "My knight in shining armor."

"That's me." Jake joked, laying the sleeping bag down on the wooden floor of the tree house and setting the plastic bag down beside him. He sat on the sleeping bag and pulled Rory onto his lap.

"When did life get so complicated?" Rory asked as sighed and leaned back to rest against Jake's chest.

"I would have to say it was when you moved away." Jake's arms tightened around her as he remembered the pain of letting her go.

Rory nodded slightly. "That was when Josh got mad at me. He screamed at me. I remember him saying that she never cared about us, she never will care." Rory could clearly remembered the day she told her twin that she was moving in with the woman who abandoned them sixteen years before.

She took a deep breath, "Lorelai hated Logan when we were dating. Josh hate's Lorelai. Lorelai hates society. If I so much as went to a party thrown by my grandparent's she threw a fit. I feel like I'm pulled in all these different directions. I don't know which way to go."

Jake continued to hold her, knowing she needed to let it all out. She was just too nice sometimes. And it was tearing her apart.

"I feel torn, you know?" She looked at Jake, turning around in his arms so she sat Indian-style in front of him, his hands gripping her sides in a comforting gesture.

"Did I make a big mistake by ever moving to Connecticut in the first place?" She questioned, almost whispering.

Jake dropped his hands and shook his head. "I don't know. I've always wished you never moved away, but it was something you needed to do. I understand that. The important question is do you think you made a mistake?"

The two were silent as they looked over the property. The tree house had been built on the far Southern corner of the Hayden property, giving them plenty of privacy.

Rory wasn't sure she could answer that question. _Did she think she made a mistake moving in with Lorelai?_ She was glad to have been given the chance to get to know her mom, but she had a great life in Boston before. It was always a big give and take game since she moved.

She moved in with Lorelai, straining her relationship with Josh.

She went to Stars Hollow and got to know the quirky townspeople, but whenever she wanted to take part in high society she felt like she was betraying Lorelai.

She met Logan and truly thought they had something, but couldn't stay with him because of his family. Had she stayed in Boston, she never would have met him, but she would never be looked down upon by anyone. After all, she was a Hayden.

Rory had given up a lot in the years since she left Boston. Yet she still gained, too.

"I don't know." She finally answered.

Jake didn't say anything to that. He figured silence was golden at that point. Instead, he simply wrapped her back in his arms, shielding her from the world, protecting her.

"But I made my decisions, now I need to live with them. And that means straitening this mess out."

"I agree." Jake nodded. He would always love Rory, that was a given. But he knew she would never be happy unless everything was settled.

"But fixing things, it doesn't mean that I made the right choice in the first place. It just means I need to stop my mistakes now, clean up the mess, and take a different path."

Jake couldn't hold in the slight chuckle.

"What?" Rory questioned, turning around to look at him.

"You sound like your grandfather. Whenever we would get in trouble he would always give us a lecture about how our choices today have consequences that we would face tomorrow, and need to clean up before we could continue on our way."

Rory smiled at the memory, and couldn't hold back a laugh. "I remember that speech! Remember in sixth grade how we put food coloring in the fountain at school on parent-teacher night? When the headmaster found out it was us grandfather gave us all that lecture."

"That he did." He agreed, looking into her blue eyes.

Rory continued to look in his eyes. She leaned closer, whispering, "What would you say to me moving back here?"

Jake felt his heart skip a beat. His breath caught for a second before he replied, "What about school?"

"Harvard." She answered, smiling slightly.

"Your mom?"

"I have family here." She leaned even closer, and he could feel her chocolaty breath on his face.

"Logan?"

She paused. "I don't know yet." She answered honestly. "Nothing's for sure. It's all just a thought. But what would you think?"

"Nothing in this world could ever make me happier." Jake told her before leaning in the last remaining centimeters and kissing her.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she allowed herself to be swept away by the kiss. This, this feeling of absolute acceptance and adoration was something she had been missing for years. She threw her heart and soul into the kiss, just as he did.

All too soon, it was over. Jake slowly broke away from her lips and she was left to open her fuzzy blue eyes and clear the haze from her brain.

As she caught her breath Jake began to speak. "I know I probably shouldn't have done that, but I had to."

She laughed lightly. "Believe me, I don't mind."

He reached over to take her face in his hands, cradling her gently. "Please don't think I'm putting pressure on you to move back, or to permanently end things with Logan, or anything. I understand you have a lot going on, and I understand you need to figure things out. Whatever it is you decide I'll be here for you."

Rory wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close. She knew she had a lot to fix, and she knew she had a lot to change, but right in that moment, none of it mattered.

-GG-

Rory's eyes twitched open and she felt a sharp pain in her neck.

"OW!" She cried, feeling blood rush back to her elbow. She looked around, unsure of where she was. It was dark and cold.

As she attempted to stand up she felt a lump next to her. The lump moved.

"AGHHH!" She screamed, moving away as quickly as her sore muscles would allow her. Unfortunately, she never noticed the ledge as she moved back.

Rory felt her entire body begin to slip over the edge, and she started to panic. Just as she was about to fall, a hand gripped her wrist and pulled her back up.

"Oh my God, Oh my God…" She muttered, looking at Jake.

He tried not to laugh at her, sitting in her tree house panicking in the middle of the night with a few leaves stuck in her hair.

"We fell asleep in the tree house." She stated, looking around in astonishment.

Jake nodded, trying not to laugh.

"Oh God, I have to get in the house before anyone realizes I'm gone!" She exclaimed, hurrying down and disappearing across the lawn leaving Jake to grab the junk food he brought.

-GG-

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" Josh smirked as his sister walked in through the kitchen door.

"Shut up." She glared at him. Rory had hoped she would sneak back into the house undetected. She didn't want to answer any questions right now.

"Ah, come on sis, can't a brother be concerned about his sisters whereabouts at one in the morning?" Josh asked, trying not to laugh.

"What are you doing up so late, anyway?" She asked him as she moved over to the island where the stove was and peered into the pot of chocolate he was stirring.

Josh shrugged, "Couldn't sleep."

"Grandma Francine's hot chocolate recipe?" Rory questioned, grabbing two mugs.

Josh smiled lightly. "Yeah."

"I miss her, too. It's hard to believe she and grandfather are both gone."

"Yeah, it really is." Josh agreed, pouring the chocolaty mixture into the two mugs and handing her one.

Rory studied her brother's face before speaking. "But that's not all. There's something else. Something else is bothering you."

He leaned over to hug Rory before beginning to walk out of the kitchen. "You have enough on your mind right now. Don't worry about it. Everything is fine."

Rory watched as her brother walked out of the room without sharing whatever was on his mind. She groaned, banging her head on the counter top. As if she didn't have enough to worry about, now something was going on with Josh.

-GG-

Across town Logan looked out the balcony of his hotel room. It was late but he couldn't sleep. Finn was with his soul mate of the week, and Colin was out.

He knew that breaking up with Rory was for the best. It had nothing to do with her family, or her name, or her bank account. It was to protect her. No one knew it, but he heard his grandfather Elias and his father plotting together. Mitchum was going to give Rory and internship and then ruin her dreams of becoming a journalist.

It would have worked, but he couldn't let it. Rory wasn't confident enough in her own abilities. She looked up to and respected Mitchum as a journalistic genius. She would have given up journalism and turned into exactly what the Huntzbergers wanted her to be- a woman without any career aspirations.

He couldn't let that happen. So he broke up with her. And he broke his own heart in the process. And now, he wanted her back more than anything in the world, but he didn't know how to get her. He couldn't grovel. He couldn't beg. She wouldn't listen to him or believe him.

Now, he had to wait for her to make the next move.


End file.
